Iesco starts netting power thieves, 9 FIRs registered

Rawalpindi

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has registered nine FIRs under Electricity Theft Act 2015 against consumers for their involvement in electricity theft. Under the new law, which was promulgated on August 27, 2015, FIRs could be registered or fines could be imposed on electricity thieves which were non-bailable.

Iesco (Legal) Manager Qazi Muhammad Arif while talking to ‘The News’ confirmed that all sections of Electricity Theft Act 2015 including 462-I, 462-J, 462-K, 462-L and 462-M are non-bailable. “Nobody could do anything except for paying fine or facing imprisonment,” he claimed.

The Airport Police Station registered FIR under Section of 462-I against a man living in a rented house in the jurisdiction of Chaklala Police Station for his involvement in electricity theft through direct connection from a transmission line. Under section 462-I, the power thief could face 3 years imprisonment or a fine of Rs3 million or both. 

Similarly, Airport Police Station registered another FIR under Section of 462-J against Nasir Mehmood who was living in a rented house in Banaras Colony for his involvement in electricity theft through direct connection from a transmission line. Under Section 462-J, the person could face 2-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs1 million or both.

Other FIRs have been registered in Cantonment Police Station, Sadar Barooni Police Station, Civil Lines Police Station and Airport Police Station. The Iesco authorities registered three FIRs in Gulrez, one in Saddar, one in Dhoke Chiraghdin, one in Jhanda and one in Gulistan Colony Muhallah Mehmoodabad.

Under the Electricity Theft Act 2015 all the sections are non-bail able and non-comprisable. Under 462-H, the convict will face three years imprisonment or fine of Rs10 million or both punishments, under Section 462-I, the convict will face three years imprisonment or fine of Rs3  million or both punishments, under Section 462-J, the convict will face two years imprisonment or fine of Rs1 million or both punishments, under Section 462-K, the convict will face three years imprisonment or fine of Rs6 million or both punishments, under Section 462-L, the convict will face two years imprisonment or fine of Rs2.5 million or both punishments and under Section 462-M, the convict will face seven years imprisonment or fine of Rs3 million. 

Iesco Executive Engineer (XEN) Rawalpindi Cantonment Muhammad Kashif Shah told ‘The News’,”I have started action against power thieves on the directions of Chief Executive (Iesco) Dr. Engineer Rana Jabbar. During crackdown, we have registered nine FIRs against commercial and domestic consumers those involved in power theft in different localities of cantonment.” 

He also said that government has strictly given us instructions not to spare anybody in this regard.